Five arrested for outburst during House abortion vote

UPDATE: Travis County Sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade says all five protestors were released by 4:30 p.m.– more than five hours after the arrests — and no charges were filed “because of insufficient probable cause.”

Original Story:

Department of Public Safety Troopers arrested five abortion rights activists who shouted and caused a temporary stir in the House chamber as lawmakers readied to take a final vote on a package of abortion restrictions Wednesday.

The disruption came at the end of a roughly one-hour debate on House Bill 2, the controversial abortion package that is now on its way to the Senate (read here for coverage of today’s vote).

As lawmakers were getting ready to cast votes, pro-abortion rights activist Yatzel Sabat screamed from the gallery: “As a queer woman of color I object to these proceedings.”

What ensued probably wouldn’t even qualify as momentary hysteria — and it was nothing at all comparable to the scene in the Senate the last night of the first special session.

But several other pro-abortion rights activists also started shouting, causing DPS troopers to step in and make arrests, eventually carrying one of the activists out of the chamber by her hands and feet.

Aside from Sabat, 30, four others were arrested “on a charge of disrupting a meeting or procession,” DPS spokesman Tom Vinger said. That’s a Class B misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to six months in jail or a $2,000 max fine.

They were identified by DPS and the activist group Rise Up/Levanta Texas as Julia Pashall, 24, Joshua Pineda, 27, Hallie Boas, 27, and 29-year-old Jessica Westbrook.

All five are currently being processed at the Travis County Jail and have yet to see a magistrate judge.

“They’re still going through and getting paperwork on them,” said Travis County sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade.

But two of them released statements via Rise Up/Levanta Texas. Here they are:

Sabat:

“The proposed legislation disproportionately affects communities in this state that are already disenfranchised. I would not be doing my experience as a queer, working class, woman of color any justice by allowing this process to continue without making myself heard. The legislation is irresponsible, the democratic process surrounding it has proven itself a travesty.”

Westbrook:

“We are the people of Texas and we are horrified by legislators’ blatant disregard for the law. You have executed voter fraud and corruption of the legislative process, as well as attempted to silence the voices of choice. Shame on you.”